Package construction and method of making the same or the like



T. E. KIRBY June 3, 1969 PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME OR THE LIKE Filed July 13, 1967 Sheet \P'QF INVENTOR THOMAS E. KIRBY BY ylwm, fl-nc/c/xfi ne HIS ATTORNEYS June 3, 1969 PACKAGE CONSTRUCTION AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME OR THE LIKE Filed July 13, 1967 T. E. KIRBY 3,447,675

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INVENTOR THOMAS E. KIRBY HIS ATTORNEYS eesr AVAILABLE cop 3,447,675 Patented June 3, 1969 U.S. Cl. 206-65 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to a package construction wherein a plurality of cylindrical containers are arranged in two side-by-side rows with each container having the top and bottom rims or chimes thereof abutting the respective top and bottom chimes of adjacent containers while being secured by adhesive means to at least one of the adjacent abutting chime of a container in the other row so that when the arranged containers are subsequently compacted together by a surrounding heat shrunk tubular member to complete the package construction, the adhesive means prevents the containers from chime riding relative to each other in the heat shrunk tubular member.

Background of the invention While many package constructions have been provided by arranging cylindrical metal containers or the like in side-by-side rows and overwrapping the same with a heat shrinkable tubular film-like material so that when the resulting heat shrinkable tubular member is heat shrunk around the arranged containers to hold the same in a compacted arrangement for subsequent shipping, storing and merchandising of the containers, such a package construction isv subjected to repeated handling thereof whereby the opposed top and bottom outwardly extending rims or chimes of each container is subject to riding above or below the respective chimes of the adjacent containers in the package construction to not only cause a distortion in the configuration of the package construction, but also to soar, scuff or otherwise adversely effect the label means on the side Walls of the containers.

Summary This invention provides inexpensive means for preventing the above chime riding problem of the above described package constructions to provide an improved package construction as well as to provide an improved method for making such a package construction or the like.

In particular, one feature of this invention is to provide a small spot of adhesive means or the like on the adjacent abutting chimes of each container in one row thereof to secure that chime end to the abutting chime end of a container in the other row so that each transverse pair of containers in the subsequently heat shrunk tubular filmlike member are secured together to provide an arrangement which will not permit the adverse chime riding pre viously mentioned.

While the features of this invention are described above and hereinafter as being particularly adaptable for forming a package construction with six cylindrical metallic containers or the like, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide other types of package constructions whereby other details, uses and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of the embodiments thereof presented in the accompanying drawings proceeds.

Brief description of the drawings The accompanying drawings show the present preferred embodiments of this invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top perspective view of the improved package construction of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective schematic view illustrating certain steps in the method of this invention for applying adhesive means to the arranged containers;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged top perspective view of the arranged containers in combination with a sheet means that forms the subsequent package construction of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top perspective view of the arranged containers of FIGURE 3 initially wrapped by the sheet means of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 and illustrates an initial preshrinking step in the method of this invention for forming the package construction of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrates another embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

Description 0 illustrated embodiments One embodiment of the improved package construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 in FIGURE 1 and comprises a plurality of product-containing, metallic, cylindrical containers 11 formed in a substantially conventional manner whereby each container 11 has a cylindrical side wall means 12 provided with opposed top and bottom closed end Walls 13 and 14 formed respectively with outwardly directed annular top and bottom rims 0r chimes 15 and 16. The con tainers 11 are arranged in two longitudinal side-by-side rows generally indicated by the reference numerals 17 and 18 in FIGURE 1 so that the top and bottom chimes 15 and 16 of each container 11 is disposed in abutting relation with the top and bottom chimes 15 and 16 of containers 11 disposed adjacent thereto whereby each container 11 of the row 17 or 18 is disposed in aligned abutting relation with a container 11 in the other row 18 or 17. In this manner, three transverse side-by-side rows of containers 11 are provided for the package construction 10, such transverse rows being generally indicated by the reference numerals 19, 20 and 21 in FIGURE 1.

The arranged containers 11 are telescopically disposed Within a heat shrunk tubular film-like member 22 having its opposed ends 23 and 24 respectively overlapping and compacting against the opposed ends 25 and 26 of the longitudinal rows 17 and 18 of the containers 11 to compact the containers 11 together and tend to hold the same in the side-by-side arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 1, the opposed ends 23 and 24 of the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 22 respectively defining opening means 27 at the opposed ends 23 and 24 of the longitudinal rows 17 and 18 of containers 11.

As previously stated, the adjacent abutting chimes 15 and 16 of the containers 11 in the package construction 10 illustrated in FIGURE 1 would normally tend to ride upwardly or downwardly relative to the adjacent chimes 15 and 16 during subsequent shipping, storing and handling of the package construction 10 to not only distort the attractive configuration of the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 22, but also to scuff and mar any label means that are normally disposed on the cylindrical side wall means 12 of the containers 11. However, one feature of this invention is to prevent such chime riding in a novel, useful and unobvious manner now to be described.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, each group of six containers 11 can be conveyed in their prearranged condition by a conveying apparatus 28 beneath a suitable glue or :SEST AVAILABLE COPY adhesive applying apparatus 29 which can be moved downwardly against the aligned group of containers 11 to apply spots of adhesive means 30 against the adjacent abutting chimes 16 in each transverse row 19, 20 and 21 thereof in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3 to subsequently secure each container of one longitudinal row 17 or 18 to its respective aligned container 11 in the other other row 18 or 17 as illustrated in FIGURE 3, the spots of the adhesive means 30 being applied to the bottom chime means 16 of the containers 11 rather than to the top chimes 15 thereof so that the adhesive means 30 will not be readily viewable through the transparent preshrunk tubular film-like member 22 of the completed package construction of FIGURE 10. Of course, such adhesive means 30 could be applied to the top chime mean 15 of the containers 11, if desired, as well as to both the top chime means 15 and bottom chime means 16, if desired. However, it has been found according to the teachings of this invention that such adhesive means 30 need only be applied to one of the top and bottom ends of the arranged containers 11 and will function to prevent the adverse chime riding problems previously mentioned.

In any event, after the adhesive means 30 has been applied by the apparatus 29 to the arranged containers 11 and before or after the adhesive means 30 has secured the transverse pairs of containers 11 together, the sheet means 22 can be disposed about the same in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3.

In particular, the sheet means 22 can be formed from a substantially rectangular sheet 31 illustrated in FIGURE 3 and be formed from transparent polyvinylchloride material. The sheet 31 has the opposed side edges 32 and 33 thereof brought over each other in an overlapping relation in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4 to be suitably secured together in the overlapping relation by heat sealing or other securing means to define a longitudinal bottom seam means 34 of the resulting tubular film-like member 22 that has the opposed ends 23 and 24 thereof extending beyond the opposed ends 25 and 26 of the side-by-side rows 17 and 18 of containers 11 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 4.

Subsequently, the tubular member 22 is heat shrunk to complete the package construction 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. However, it may be found desirable to initially and partially preshrink just the opposed ends 23 and 24 of the tubular film-like member 22 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 5 to partially overlap the opposed ends 25 and 26 of the arranged containers 11 before the entire film-like mmeber 22 is heat shrunk by being passed through a heating tunnel or the like whereby such sub sequent final heat shrinking of the tubular film-like member 22 will not cause the opposed ends 23 and 24 of the member to pull back over the tops and bottoms of the arranged containers 11.

Therefore, it can be seen that this invention provides a relatively inexpensive and simple method for preventing chime riding of the container 11 within the package construction as it has been found that by merely utilizing the spots of adhesive 30 only between the adjacent containers 11 in adjacent rows 17 and 18, the containers 11 in the transverse rows 19, 20 and 21 are respectively secured together and each transverse pair of containers 11 will not chime ride with the adjacent transverse pair or pairs of containers 11 because of the holding properties of the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 22 whereby not only is an attractive package construction 10 provided by this invention, but also an improved method of making the same or the like.

It has been found according to the teachings of this invention that the adhesive means is not required for securing together adjacent containers 11 in the same longitudinal row 17 or 18 because the containers in the same row 17 and 18 are sutficiently prevented from chime riding relative to each other by the entire extent or 4 height of the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 12 disposed completely between the top and bottom chimes 15 and 16 thereof. However, it can be seen that at the opposed ends 23 and 24 of the heat shrunk tubular member 22, relatively large openings 25 and 26 are provided in the heat shrunk tubular member 22 so that a relatively small amount of the film-like member 22 is provided to tend to resist chime riding between the containers 11 of one row 16 or 18 and the containers 11 in the other row 18 and 17 whereby such adhesive means 30 prevents such chime riding between the rows 17 and 18.

While the adhesive means 30 can comprise any suitable adhesive means, it has been found that such adhesive means can be a hot melt thermoplastic resin which can be rapidly applied to the containers 11 and be subsequently cured by temperature means without requiring the driving off of solvents as in other known adhesive means. However, it is to be understood that any type of adhesive means that will adequately secure together the adjacent chimes 16 or 15 of the containers 11 to provide sufiicient rigidity and shear strength therebetween can be utilized according to the teachings of this invention.

In fact, an adhesive means that has relatively good shear strength characteristics and good peelable characteristics can be utilized whereby such adhesive means will provide sufiicient rigidity to the package construction 10 to prevent shearing movement or chime riding between the containers 11 while still permitting the ultimate consumer to readily separate the secured containers 11 after the package construction has been opened. Also, such peelable adhesive means can be readily removed from the containers 11 by the ultimate consumer, if desired.

If desired, the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 22 can be provided with finger-receiving openings passing between the adjacent rows 17 and 18 of containers 11 to provide means for readily carrying the resulting package construction.

For example, reference is now made to FIGURES 6 and 7 wherein another package construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10A and parts thereof similar to the package construction 10 previously described are indicated by like reference numerals followed by the reference letter A.

As illustrated in FIGURE 6, the package construction 10A is substantially identical to the package construction 10 previously described except that the longitudinal heat sealed seam 34A of the heat shrunk tubular film-like member 22 extends across the top of the package construction 10A rather than across the bottom thereof as provided in the package construction 10.

As illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7, finger receiving openings 35 are burned through or otherwise provided through the seam 34A intermediate the edges 32A and 33A of the material 22 so that the overlapping portions 32 and 33 provide a double strength at the opening means 35. In this manner, the ultimate consumer or the like can insert a thumb and forefinger through the openings 35 between the adjacent rows 17A and 18A of the containers 11 to lift the package construction 10A in a conventional manner.

When such openings 35 are burned through the longitudinal seam 84 of the package construction 10A, such burning operation causes the film-like material 22A to form annular bead means 36 around the openings 35 to further reinforce the same so that the subsequent lifting of the package construction 10A by the ultimate con sumer inserting his fingers into the openings 35 will not cause the film-like material 22A to tear between such openings 35.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a plurality of cylindrical containers arranged in side-by-side rows, each container having top and bottom chimes abutting the respective top and bottom chimes of adjacent containers, adhesive means securing together adjacent abutting chimes of adjacent containers only between said rows, and sheet material means disposed about said arranged containers to hold the same in said side-by-side rows, said adhesive means preventing chime riding of said containers in said sheet material means.

2. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adhesive means secures together each container of one row with one container of the other row.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said adhesive means is disposed on only one end of each container at its respective chime.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said one end of each container is the bottom end thereof.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet material means comprises a tubular member telescopically receiving said arranged containers.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said tubular member is heat shrunk about said arranged containers to be compacted against the opposed ends of said arranged containers.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said tubular member has opposed open ends disposed at the opposed ends of said rows of said containers.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said opposed ends of said tubular member extend beyond and overlap said opposed ends of said rows of said containers.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said tubular member is heat shrunk about said arranged containers to compact said containers together between said opposed ends of said rows of said containers.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein each row of said containers comprises three containers, each container of each row being secured to one container in the other row by said adhesive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,571,049 1/1926 G-atchell 220-232 2,677,460 5/1954 Johnson et a1. 206- 3,111,221 11/1963 Chapman et a1. 20665 3,118,537 1/1964 Copping 206-65 WVILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 20645. 33 

